Hyper redundant robots are robots that have a number of actuated degrees of freedom that exceed the minimal number required to perform a particular task. For example, a robot that is required to position and orient an object in space needs six actuated degrees of freedom, so a robot with seven or more degrees of freedom is redundant with respect to this task. Examples of hyper redundant robots include (but are not limited to) “snake arm” robots, “elephant trunk” robots, and “snake” robots.
Hyper redundant robots may be used in industry to perform inspection and/or repair activities on an article. For example, a hyper redundant robot may be inserted into a gas turbine engine through a borescope port or through the fan to inspect the interior of the gas turbine engine for wear and/or damage. By way of another example, a hyper redundant robot may be inserted into a gas turbine engine to carry out a repair activity on a component within the gas turbine engine (blending of a leading edge of a compressor blade for example).